Telegraphic picture-transmitting mechanism.



PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

E. & M. BELIN.

TELEGRAPHIG PICTURE TRANSMITTING MECHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED D1106. 1904.

3 gHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

E. & M. BBLIN. I TELEGRA'PHIG PICTURE TRANSMITTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 1030.6. 1904.

a SHEE S-SHEET 2.

lNVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESSES 2 2? if 05 ?z. W

PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

E. & M. BELIN. TELEGRAPHIG PICTURE TRANSMITTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DI-IO.6,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lNVENTOR dmuwg M WITNESSES imvdz.

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ATTORN EYS UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

EDoU'ARnBELrN-AND Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.12, 1907.

Application filed December 6, 1 904. Serialllo. 235,749.

- T at whom it may concern:

' Be it known thatwe, EDOUARD BELIN and MARcEL BELIN, citizens of the Republic of France, residing at Paris, in the Republic of l I be run into thimbles, cells, or alveoles the France, engineers, (whose full postal address is 60 Boulevard de Clichy, Paris, aforesaid,

new and useful Imhave invented certain provements in Telegraphic Picture-Transmitting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention has for its object a method enabling real optical images to be transmitted to a distance in a negligible space of time and also of apparatus for practically carrying out this method.

The properties which selenium possesses of varying its conductivity according to the illuminating power of the luminous rays which strike it are utilized. It is thus possible to obtain images where each color is rendered with an intensity proportionate to its optic brilliancethat is to say, the perfeet realization of orthochromatism.

According to this improved method sensitwo elements are provided, as will be herein after explained, formed in such a way that being switched into an electric circuit they causethe needle or pointerof a galvanometer to undergo oscillations varying with the color and intensity of the luminous rays which strike them.' These elements are ar ranged in a photographic chamber, (trans mitt ing apparatu's,) where they receive the luminous rays refracted by the objective. Each sensitive element switched into a local electric circuit modified by means of a special relay the intensity of a line-current which acts at a distance (receiver apparatus) on an electromagneticapparatus operating either a perforating-point or a printing-point, so .as to obtain .on a suitable surface perforated or 1printed dots, the dimension of which vary wit theintensity of the current traversing the apparatus. As the number of these points does not vary per unit of surface, the effect of shade and light are thus obtained by the differences in their size exactly as is produced in so-called simili-gravure reproductions. I

The sensitive elements, of which mention has hereinbefore been made, are preferably formed by winding a very fine copper wire over an insulating plane support and casting p'ure selenium in the intervals of the helices thus formed on one side of the support o niy. The sensitive eIe mentS are also obtained by l l l l l substituting metallic selenids for selenium. Finally these selenids or pure selenium may walls of which are of conducting metal.

The element at the extremity of each of the copper wires corresponds to one of the poles of an electric circuit.

The apparatus intended to put in practice the method hereinbefore described is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a horizontal section of the dark chamber receiving the sensitive elements. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic viewshowing the electric arran ement of the whole of the system. Fig. 3 is a front view of the special relay. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the axis of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are a front and side views in detail of the mechanism for operating the perforating-points Fig. 7 shows the application of the system with a printingpoint. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic plan View corresponding to Fig. 7. v

In the practical method of carrying out the invention, the description of which will now be given, the electric arrangement is such that theconnection between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus only necessitates the use of a single wire, which allows of the existing telegraphic and telephonic lines to be utilized, if need be for transmission. l l

The transmitter and the receiver each possess their own movement, determined by an independent force. The perfect synchronism of the two stations'is insured by an electric clockwork arrangement, utilizing as conductor the line itself. It appears preferable to employ for the motive force an electric'accumulator.

Transmitter.-The transmitting apparatus comprises a dark chamber 1, Fig. 1, analogous to photographic chambers and provided with an objective 2. I

Between the nodal the objective and the is arranged, reflecting totality of the luminous rays reflected'shall be perpendicular, of? nearly so, to the-axis of the objective principal axis. the mirror 31s atan, angle of fortjir-fiv'e degrees with relationsffifthe principal axis, or nearlyso.

In other words,

ra 'sin such a variable direction that with it.

The mirror 3, which is movable on an upright 4 perpendicular to the principal axis, projects the real image reflected onto a cylindrical surface 5. The angle of displacement of the mirror is selected, so that two generating-lines a b of the surface 5 are each necessarily and successively illuminated by all the points of the half-image.

The sensitive elements 6, of which mention has hereinbefore been made, are fixed on the said generating-lines a. b. The use of this double row is justified, first, by the inertia of the selenium itself and the obligation to explore the whole of the image in as short a time as possible; second, by the impossibility of causing a luminous group of ra; s of suliicient angle to turn opposite a single row of elements without the reflected group overlapping the incident group.

in course of working the emergent lumi nous group falls on the mirror 3, occupying the position 0 cthat is to say, forming with the principal incident axis an angle superior to forty-five degrees. The image-is thus reflected at as y, and the two rows a b of sensitive elements are situated one at the end, the other at the middle, of this image.

By the intermediary of a rod 7 and crankplate 8, operated by the general motor of the apparatus, the mirror 3- is caused to pivot on the axis 4. Of course the image is displaced When it occupies the position 00 y, the mirror is at d (1, (angle of fort:.'-five degrees.) Finally when it occupies the limit position at m g the mirror is at e e, (angle.

inferior to forty-five degrees.) At this moment the exploration is terminated. The succeeding operation is obtained immediately after the return of the mirror 3 to its primitive posit-ion.

On one of the external faces of the chamber 1 terminals 9 and 10 are arranged, two of these terminals corresponding to one of the sensitive elements 6 and each receiving one of the ends of the copper wire forming part of the element.

From the terminals 9 and 10 wires 11 and 12 start, which close the circuit' of each'ele- Inent passing through the source of electricity f, as shown in Fig. 2. In all these circuits or in shunt on these circuits a flexible metallic strip 13 is connected, intended to act in combination with a disk 14, of insulating material, having a notch 14' and provided with a contact-piece 15. The disks 14 are juxtaposed and displaced an ularly the one relatively to the other. All t e parts 15 are in electric communication with aring 1 6, itself connected bv a brush 16 and a wire to a roller 17 of'the special relay g. 'The current enteringat 17 into this part of said relay emerges, as will be shown hereinafter, b v means of a brush 18 in contact with the ring 18;

There exist as many disks 14 as there are selenium elements 6. These disks 14 serve to successively introduce the said elements 6 into the local circuit of the transmitter. Into this circuit is introduced at the same time as the element 6 a resistance 22 by the relay g.

The parts 13 to 15 remain in contact during all the time that the resistance 22 is displaced under the wheel 17 If the relay g has only one resistance 22 as Fig. 2 shows, it being assumed that this resistance should be put successively with each element 6 it operates, it follows that for a turn of the shaft carrying the disks 14 the relays g will make a number of turns equal to the number of the elements 6, and consequently to the disks 14. If the relays, on the contrary, have seven resistances 22, as shown in Fig. 3, it will turn seven times less quickly than in the example,

Fig. 2.

As to the mirror 3, it is quite difficult to establish a relation between its movement and that either of the relay g or of the disks 14. In fact, the disk 14 makes a complete revolution to successively put at once into action all the elements 6, which include the rows (1 and b of the dark chamber.

We have seen that the relays 9 turn more or less quickly, according to the number of resistances 22 actuated in its revolution.

As to the mirror 3, it will have an extremely slow displacement, since it will go from the position a c a to the osition e e, while the rows of selenium a an I) will be put as many times into action as the reproduction of each operation of the image transmitted will necessitate rows of printed or perforated points.

On the return-conductor an electromagnet h is arranged, calculated for only producing a useful effect with a given intensity of current and the armature 19 of which governs two contacts 20 and 21, the first arranged on the circuit of the sensitive elements, the second on the line-circuit.

The relay g, Figs. 3 and 4, thus formed of two series of wire windings or resistancecoils 22 23, single or multlple, arranged in parallel, but in inverse direction, and so as to present an external cylindrical surface on which a contact-roller bears, the roller 17 aforesaid is oppositev the winding 22, a similar roller 24 being arranged on the winding 23. tively connected with'rings 18 and 26. The second lines wire 27 is connected with a' brush 27, hearing on the ring 26. After having passed over the switch 2! it is directed, with the other wire 25, toward the receiving station. K indicates the source of electrical energy. 4

It will be evident that the said relay g is switched automatically into the circuit of the sensitive elements and into the line-circuit proportionate although variable resistances The ends of the windings are respec- IIS by reason of the displacement of the coils 22 resistance 23 (R,) in proportion of the elimithan i-L-R, (L represents the resistance of the selenium-cell.) and in order-that this current the element 6. When that is intercalated in the local circuit of the transmitter, it does not offer resistance to the passage of the current, and from the momentof contact of the wheel 17 with the wire 22 the .electromagnet h oper ates, closing the line-circuit. At this moment, first, there is in this local circuit all the resistance R of the coil 22. There then passes a current of the intensity i R. Second, the coil 23 is'not included, by reason ofthe construction of the relay g. There flows, on the-contrary, a current of the intensity I. If we suppose now that this selenium element 6 corresponds to the obscure point of the image and'the point block that it is inter'calated in the local circuit oi the transmitter, the intensity of the current of this circuit is no more may operate the electromagnet h it is then necessary that the wheel 17 shall have free the greatest part of the resistance 22 (R) and that this last shall have been illuminated from the quantityn a- L, so that the total value of the resistance intercalated in the circuit shall be equal to Rn-+L R. At this moment, first, in the local circuit ,the current is still an intensity i R and the electromagnet h oper-. ates. Second, in the line-current, by reason of the position of the wheel 34, Which is intercalated little by little into this circuit, the

nation of the resistance R in the local circuit of the transmitter, there flows in the contrary direction a current of the intensity IR. 1

rrom what precezies it follows that for a light point-smalles't resistance, for example, of the seleniumthe intensity of the line-current. equals I, and therefore a black point maximum resistance L of the selenium the line current equals I R. It will therefore be understood that according to the degree of light of the selenium-cell between black and. white its resistance varies between and L, the corresponding line-current will oscillate inversely between I and I R, the exact value of this intensity depeniling necessarily upon the position of the wheel 24 on the resistance 22 a position which correspon-is to thatof the Wheel 17 on the resistance 22 at thcmoment of the. operation of the electrornagnet h, which can only be actuated when the total resistance intercalated in the local circuit of the transmitter'corresponis to R n L R.

Receive-r.The receiving apparatus comprises a commutator formed of recessed or hollowed disks 28, similar to those hereinbefore described, arranged in the same way and each provided with a contact-piece 29, which is connected by a wirewith a ring 29, while a brush 30 places the ring 29 and the line-wire 25 in. connection. Between the disks 28 and the wire 27 recording devices operated by differential electromagnets i are interpolated in independent circuits. On each connecting-wire 31 an-f'electromagnetis arranged, and its extremity is fixed on a flexible metallic strip 32', intended to .act in combination with one of the disks 28'.

Each electromagnet 'i, commands a point paper or-other suitable material, holes of proportionate or inversely proportionate diameter at will to the luminous intensities of the corresponding points of the o tical image or picture. The pe1'foratingpomt 33, (see 1+ igs. and 6,) mounted on aismall soft-iron plate 34," is firml attached in any suitable manner to a flexible strip 35, preferably metallic, stretched between supports 36,. arranged on an insulating-plate or sole-piece 37'.

The supports 36 are combined so as to al-- low of a variation, and consequently a suitable regulation, of, first, the pfointof attachment of the ends of the strip 35; second, its degree of tension; third, the distancewhichseparates this strip from the electromagnetic apparatus. Accordingto the drawingsthis resultis obtained by means of'various pieces constituting sup prts 36, provided with slides adapted'to e displaced relative to one another and firmly connected by means of screws; but it is evidentthat the same object may be attained by utilizing any other suitable arrangements.

On the bed-plate 37 and opposite the strip 35 there is fixer; an electromagnet 38, fed by a local current of any suitable kind conveyed to the terminals 39 and 40. The cores 41 and 42 of this electromagnet are prolonged by means of pieces of soft iron 43 and 44, re-

taineci by screws or otherw ise. and on each of way as to form two coils constituting a sort'of se-con-i electromagnet 45, intended to modify the attractive force of the first electromagnet 38 and. the feed-wires of which'start from two terminals 47 an'l 48, which are interpolateil into one of the electric circuits 31, hereinbefore mentioned.

Of course the apparatus is regulated in such a way that the needle 33, the'point of which is of any 6esired"'and determined conicity, shall be suitably displaced by the action of the electromagnetic apparatus onto the plate 34 and perforates more or lessthe receiving-band j,w,hich is adjusted opposite it.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the neeqles 33 are directed, according to the rafii, round a center, and the passes over a roller 49, having a surface convex to the same center.

The system when in action operates as fol. lows: The coils 22 23 and the disks 14,01 the transir. itter revolve at a given speed and the disks 28 of the receiver revolve synchronously with the disks of the transiritter. The contact 21 is clcsed. One of the strips 13 dropping into the notch of its disk 14v comes in contact with a piece At this movement '33, which punches in a recording-band j, of r which a w in; ing of wire is mounted in such a 4o varying intensities,

the-roller '17 presses on the outgoing wire 10 diately the, intensity of the current which passes through the wires 11 and 12 is sufficient to set in actionthe'electromagnet h the armature 19 closes the line-circuit and a current, variable according to the position of the roller24 on the coils 23, is discharged into the receiving apparatus. The disk 28 of this apparatus, however, which is in engagement with a strip 32 is the same by reason of the synchronous action as the disk 14 workingin go the transmitter, and the result is that the line-current acts on the electric apparatus which operates the corresponding needle 33. The'line-current passing into the electromagnet 45, the local current is sent immediately afterward by a particular commutation into the electromagnet .38, the plate 34 is attracted, and the point 33 perforates the recording-band. U

Onf th'e shaft of the commutator 28 are o fixed disks 74 equal in number to the disks 28 and also furnished with .notches 73; but these latter areslightly behind the notches 29, so that the spring 75 fallsimm'ediately after the corresponding spring 32. 5 throws an auxiliary current into the wire of the post 39, Fig.6, the electromagnet 38 be comes active, and the current goes out at post'40. The resulting attraction of the double electr'omagnet on the plates 34 will'be of ances interposed in the line-circuit at the iven moment, which will determine the difl erent amplitudes of the swing of the needle 33,'and therefore the formation of larger or 5 smaller holes.

It will-be noticed that the working of the armature 19 by determining the closing of the line-circuit breaks the circuit of-thegjselenium elements'byopening the commutator at the contact-point20. Immediately the local circuit of the transmitter is broken the electromagne't h no longer Works, and the armature 19 resumes "its initial position, while the line-circuit is inits' turn broken, and the com- 5 mutator at the contact-point being simultaneousl reclosed is consequently in the position .W ich is occupied at the commenee-.

mentof the 0 oration, and similarly the perforatmg nee e or po-int'of the receiver is rev turned to a position'o'f repcse.

The coils 22 and '23 of the, relay 9 continuing to revolve, the rollers 17 and 24 after having traversed the resistance-ccil stand ag. in facing the one the entrance and the other the discharge of the same coil or of a similar jux- On falling .thus'it.

according ,to the resistnately in the local circuit of the transmitter.

It is evident that the construction of the 1 various. principal parts hereinbefore de- 1 scribed, more particularly the relay gand the l disks 14 oi 28, may vary and have a larger or smaller number of constituent parts. As the case may be, the grouping of the elements, the relative speeds of the arts may be changed Without thereb 'modifying the principle of the invention, t e latter always consistmg 111 successively interpolating in a circuit the intensity of which varies'automatically with the striking luminousintensity of the sensitive elements themselves influenced successively and in recording at a distance the result of this influence on a suitable support or band. 4

As regards the perforatingspoint 33, if the line-current flowing through the electromagnet 45 opposes the attractive force of the magnet 38 it isevident that the strip 34, and consequently the point 33, will be dis laced in. a manner inversely proportionate to the luminous intensity acting on the corresp 0nding sensitive element of the transmitting ap- 1: aratus-that is to say, that the attraction of the piece 34 will be t e less energetic as the line-current is stronger, and consequently the luminous intensity he reinbefore s1; ecified greater. Thusla recording-band will be obtainedin which the smallest p erfor'ations correspond to the most brilliant points of the image or picture, and vice versa.

1 By reversing the direction of the line-current, the force of the electromagnet 45 being added to that of ,the electromagnet 38, the i p oint will be dis; laced prop ortionately to the 1 luminous intensitof. the f oints of the image or picture, and t e recording-band will receive "perforations which are larger according 4 as the corresponding pointsare ess brilliant, and vice versa. :7 The pcint 33 is shown in the acc'omran 'ing drawings in a preferred form ;but it-is. o vio us that this is ca"; able of numerousgaatiations without departing from the invention. L Although the perforated bands are of a kind ada; ted for T. rinting, rinting-points might nevertheless be substituted for the 3 er forating-z oints 33. In this'case it would be 1" referable to em; loy in the receiving apparatus the'arrangement shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings.

b, which of course can be interpolated alter- The diiierential electromagnets i, operatof contacts to cause a line-circuit to act on mg the printing appliances, are mounted 1n a i the receiver in varying proportions, the resuitable curve on the arm or standards 49'. ceiver having a system of contacts moving The armature of'these electromagnets is'at l synchronously with those in the relay-cir- 5 the extremity of the longer arm of a lever 50, l cuit. 70

pivoted at 51, and the other extremity of I 2. An apparatus for'transmitting opticalwhich carries an india-rubber point or a rintimages, comprising a dark chamber provided ing-cone 52. All the cones are placed in a j with an objective and a movable mirror, and straight line at the center of the apparatus. containing plurality of rows of sensitive ele- IO In a normal condition they face the surface ments intended to receive the luminous rays 75 to be printed for instance, a film j, passing I reflected by. the movable mirror on which over rollers. 53, the axis of one of which is in i fall the emergent rays of the objective, each the vertical plane of the said cones. The porow of elements corresponding to a proporsition of the levers 50 is insured by a spring tional part of the image. a

54, adapted to be-regulated by means of a l 3. 1n an apparatus for transmitting optical 8c screw 55. i a l images having a dark chamber with sensitive Above the plane-of the levers 50 and per- I receiving elements therein, a local current pendicularly to the large axis of the curve in I connected therewith and a line-current, in

. which the electromagnets i are arranged a I combination with arelay comprising two horizontal shaft57 tur'nsinasuitable frame 56, series of rotating resistant W I S, ar- 85 and carried at each of its ends and operates, ranged inversely and on each of w ich is first, an eccentric 58, having a vertical rod applied a roller, one of said windings being 59, operating a balancer 60, pivoted at 61 switched into the local current of the transand provided at its ends with two rollers 53 mitter and the other into the line-current so 2 5 for guiding the film 7'; second, an eccentric 63, as to cause the latter to vary proportionately 0 having a horizontal rod 64, provided with with the variations of the local current instretching-rollers 65 for insuring the tautfiuenced by the sensitive elements. ness of the film, during the movements of the 4. In an apparatus for transmitting optical balancer 60; third, a crank-plate or a crank images a contact arrangement for switching 3o 67, actuating a rod 68, which pushes and the elements successively into an electric 9,5 pulls an inking-roller 69, guided in a slide 70, circuit, comprising rotatable notched disks, which roller rubs against the printing-cones flexible strips intended to form a connection 52 at one of the ends'of its course and an inkwith contact-pieces carried by the notched ing-plate'71 at the other end. i disks, the latter being juxtaposed and dis- The operation-of the mechanism is readily placed angularly relatively to one another. 10 understood. Amotion more or less accen- 5. An apparatus for transmitting optical tu ed, according to the intensity of the curimages, having a transmitting apparatus re which passes through the electromag-' comprising a dark chamber, an objective, a

nets i, is imparted thereby to the lever 50, movable mirror and sensitive elements, in 40 bearing the printing-cones 52. The latter combination with a system of switches hav- 105 consequently strikes the band 9' with reater 1 ing disks and strips successively switching or less force, leaving a dot thereon, w ich is these elements into alocal circuit, a relay in heavy or light, according to the strength of said circuit intended to influence the line-curthe stroke. A succession of these dots forms rent, and an electromagnet operating a double a row :0 y across the band j, and a succession switch opening the local circuit of the trans- I 10 of these rows 00 4 which follow one another mitter when the line-circuit is closed, and as the band is uniformly displaced during the vice versa. printing, form tlieimage, the ensemble of dots 6. An apparatus for the transmission of ofvarying-size having much thesame ap-. optical images, having a transmitter with, 5 pearance as an en ravure. a 1 The use of a (li erential electromagnet of with means corresponding to the sensitive special construction for operating-the record elements of the transmitter for recording the -ing-points has been hereinbefore described; real optical image on'a suitable support, as a but satisfactor results may be obtained by band of paper or the like, by means of circu- .utiliz in simp e electromagnets and more lar'perforations of variable'diameter's pro- 120 partid larly when the picture is obtained by ortionate or inversely roportionate to the perforations proportionate --to the luminous lhminous intensity of the rays striking the Intensities. i E 1 sensitive elements, said points being oper- We claim as our inventioni 1 ated by a suitable electromagnetic apparatus 6o L'Apparsitus for transmitting Etoa dis subjected to the'lvarialoleline-current.' J25 tance optical images, and comprisingatrans 37. An apparatus for the transmission of Initter and a receiver, the transmitter having optical images or pictures, having a receiver ,adark chamber with elements of a selenium" and recording-points therein, an electromagbasisand means for successively switching netic apparatus operating each of the re- 7 thiem into alocal'circuit,a relay and system cording-points, and comprising an ele'ctro- I3 sensitive elements therein, in combination I: 5

magnet with two distinct windings, the'one traversed by a local current and the other by the variable line-current and modifying more or less at Will, the local current.

8. An apparatus for the transmission of optical images having a transmitting apparatus with disks and strips and a receiving apparatus connected in a variable line-circuit, such receiving apparatus comprising recording means and a series of di'l'l'erential electromagnets operating the recording means, in combination with a contact systern having disks and strips Working synchronously With those of the transmitting apparatus, and successively switching the electromagnets into the variable line-circuit.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDOUARD BELIN.

, MARCEL BELIN.

Witnesses:

ANTONIN MoNTErLHE'r, JOHN BAKER. 

